1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic mail processing apparatus and a method therefor, and more particularly it relates to an electronic mail processing apparatus having a function of transmitting and receiving electronic mails and a function of managing the memorandum record, for example, an apparatus such as a portable information apparatus, a word processor, or a work station.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Recently, communication is often conducted through exchanging electronic mails, and requests or orders are sometimes made by means of electronic mails. However, since electronic mails do not remain as a solid substance unless they are printed on a sheet of paper, there often arises a problem that a receiver of request by an electronic mail often forgets to send a reply to the request unless the receiver securely manages a schedule.
As a means for solving this problem, Japanese Unexamined Patent publication No. HEI 07(1995)-202934 discloses a technique in which electronic mails having a due date for reply are managed by a mail server to automatically transmit a prompting mail. This technique involves automatically transmitting a prompting mail on a day designated by a dav designation means, where the promoting mail prompts the receiver to send a reply to an already transmitted mail. This enables automatic follow-up of mails, whereby smooth transmission of replies to the mails is facilitated.
However, according to the above technique, a system for processing the mails having a due date for reply must be provided in the mail server, so that an already existing mail server must be enlarged. This causes a great problem in recent years when mails are exchanged through an Internet connecting provider.
Recently, electronic management of schedules is often conducted by means of a memorandum record or a Todo task list. However, the Todo task list is not linked with electronic mails, so that the user must input the due date of the mail into the Todo task list by self management.
Moreover, although it is possible to report the existence of an electronic mail to which a reply has not yet been made, it is not possible to manage the day on which the reply is received. Also, as in the case of personal computer communication, if connection is not always maintained and the connection time interval is longer than the time interval of transmitting prompting mails, there arises a problem that a plurality of prompting mails are simultaneously transmitted to the same receiver.